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Summary
As children grow older, they develop in several different ways. Child development includes physical, intellectual, social, and emotional changes.
Children grow and mature at very different rates. It's hard to say what "normal" is. There can be big differences in height, weight, and build among healthy children. Diet, exercise and genes are all factors. Some children begin puberty or are close to it before they are teenagers.
Children start to become more independent from their parents. They may rebel. They also look outward - to their friends, who are usually of the same sex. Peer approval becomes very important. Your child may try new behaviors to be part of "the group." This can also be the time that parents or teachers recognize learning disabilities or behavioral problems in children. These problems can get worse as time goes on, so it is important to get help early.
Diagnosis and Tests
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Developmental and Behavioral Screening Tests
(National Library of Medicine)
Also in Spanish
- Developmental Monitoring and Screening (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - PDF - In English and Spanish
- Growth Charts (For Parents) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
Treatments and Therapies
- Medications to Treat Bed-Wetting (National Kidney Foundation)
- Physical Therapy (For Parents) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
- Speech-Language Therapy (For Parents) (Nemours Foundation)
Related Issues
- 5 Ways to Promote a Positive Body Image for Kids (Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics)
- Bedwetting (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
-
Bladder Control Problems and Bedwetting in Children
(National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse)
Also in Spanish
- Emotions and Behavior (Nemours Foundation)
- Magic of Play: How It Inspires and Aids Early Development (Nemours Foundation)
- Managing and Preventing Temper Tantrums (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish
- Shyness in Children (American Academy of Pediatrics) Also in Spanish
- Understanding Your Child's Temperament: Why It's Important (American Academy of Pediatrics) Also in Spanish
- What Is a Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrician? (American Academy of Pediatrics) Also in Spanish
- Your Child's Growth (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
Specifics
- Telling Your Child a Family Member Has a Serious Illness (Nemours Foundation)
Videos and Tutorials
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Development of the Young Brain
(National Institute of Mental Health)
-
Videos from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)
(Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development)
Clinical Trials
-
ClinicalTrials.gov: Child Development
(National Institutes of Health)
Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
Find an Expert
Children
- Bedwetting (For Kids) (Nemours Foundation)
- Feeling Good About Yourself (Self-Esteem) (Nemours Foundation)
- How to Handle Peer Pressure (Nemours Foundation)
Patient Handouts
- Bedwetting (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Developmental milestones record (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Developmental milestones record - 4 years (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Developmental milestones record - 5 years (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Developmental Monitoring and Screening (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - PDF - In English and Spanish
- Growth chart (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Normal growth and development (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Preschooler development (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- School-age children development (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish